Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

our our work session is uh um ready to go. It is 11:00 and this is in preparation for our board of law meeting, our recess meeting on the 21st. And so with that, we have a presentation. Cristiana Suggs is going to give us an update on the um Park How Parker that's not the right Parker CDJR dealership uh developers agreement. That was the tip that was approved back in 2015 was ma'am. Some of us were here but before all of us as we currently exist were around. So could we do that? Yes. Good morning. Um I appreciate y'all including me and the opportunity to speak to y'all. This is what we call a legacy project. It was approved in, as the mayor said, I believe 2015.

I was wrong. It was 2016. 166 to be specific.

This project has been around for a long time. It is the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Grand dealership off the highway near the Walmart neighborhood market. And um we have the a 10-year window to build a certain amount of um development. As originally contemplated, we thought that we would be building two dealerships, quick service restaurants, and maybe a gas station. And it looks like right now based on delays from COVID and just the economy, we're going to be with simply one car dealership with another one coming in the next couple of years and the developer has other plans for the balance of the lot. He did put in some infrastructure and he's requesting the city now to give him a little bit more time to have the bonds issued. He understands because we have not fully developed the lot, but the city can't continue to promise and agree to issue the full amount of the bond. So the request of the city is to give us a little more time a year and in turn we reduce the amount of the bonds that we could get to not to exceed a million. Practically speaking with this bond issuance it'll probably be somewhere around maybe 900,000 maybe 800,000. We're not asking for an increase. We're asking for a decrease in about a year to get things in order so we can get a bank lined up to purchase the bonds to reimburse us for the road work. So, as it relates to the remainder of the property, that's the RV park. Does that take up all the remainder of that property?

No, ma'am. It takes up a few acres on the I'm not oriented. West side on the west side and then the other car dealership will eventually relocate. We're just not sure when. So this tip would be is able to be fully supported the request to decrease it to not to exceed a million by the advalorum taxes and the sales taxes from the current dealership and any other revenues generated from the balance of the development of the project will just go into the city and county's general funds because it's the any bonds that can be issued right now can be supported by the dealership. Okay. And my recollection is the county has has already seen this and approved it. Is that accurate?

Yes, ma'am. That's right. They're aware it's coming. Um, if the city is agreeable to giving us about another year to have the bonds issued, then we'll have we'll submit our requisition, which is the request for reimbursement. We've already gotten information from the Department of Revenue, and then we'll just go ahead and get this wrapped up. Okay. Hold on, sister. Did I see you? Um, I was just going to reinforce that is a legacy project and one of the good things that that was part of that project is that the um sizing of the bonds is based on 50% of the sales tax and 50% of the adorum taxes.

That's correct. That's a very good point. So really what we're looking at based on values I've gotten I don't know why I took my glasses off. Um based on values we've received from the tax assessor's office. It looks like the city's contribution that y'all agreed to years ago would be about 14,000 in advorum taxes about 25,000 from the county and the city sales tax rebates which is 50% of what they're bringing in about 48,000. Now, I do want to point out since this project was the relocation of a dealership, there is a deduct from the revenues for existing sales. So, we are the this deal was set up understanding that the city was already making money from the dealership and so we're not cutting into any of your general funds, if you will. Um,

any of our existing That's right. any of your existing revenue. Yes, ma'am. That you would have had the dealership stayed in the same place. Okay. Where was it before? We didn't have it, right? I thought y'all did. Did I just conflate my project? No, it's a brand new. Just kidding. I was going to say it's a brand new That's a project that I have on the coast. We're reducting $181,000. I I know I've been around for I don't want to interrupt. I just Well, but you were being so polite. It was a trap. You all failed except for you. So, never mind. This is increased sales, new sales to the city, but it's only half of that.

Okay. All right. There we go. Got it. All right. Any any other questions? I know you two gentlemen were around for this when when it was I don't have any question. I was when she was saying all that, I didn't think that she was talking here, but yeah. Well, when when they come this way with a second car lot, is it to is it to the to the south of the existing one now? would be expansion to the south of the existing one then where the white property is. That's right. If the if the RV park is going to be to the west, it'll be to the south. Okay.

And there are always hopes that there will be another gas station or something there, but we understand the city cannot have this obligation hanging out there forever. So, if we could just get this extension and we could go ahead and have this small amount of the bonds, we will not return. Okay. This does not require public hearing. So, this is on the agenda just under uh board action. That's correct. This is a request to amend the contract, the development agreement that was entered into when the tip was approved between the developer and the city. So, there's no public hearing required. Okay. All right. Just want to be clear on that one. So, any other questions? Anything? Okay. All right. Well, thank you very much for showing up for five minutes. I'm going to go get some good food. I appreciate it. We appreciate that. So, some of that sales tax can stay right here.

That's right. Thank you. I appreciate it. All right. Thank you so much. All right. With that in mind, guys, we actually have a fairly short um agenda, I believe. Um so, we get to the agenda items. We have a set of minutes. Mr. Huskinson, you've looked at those. Yes, ma'am.

All is good. Uh Miss McCarn, you're good with those. Do we have consent for those? Okay. And then, uh we've got employee introductions and I have no idea what might happen between then, although we do have a Cotton District Arts Festival this weekend, which should be a a lot of fun, and uh it's about time for us to get that one back and rolling. I'm looking forward to looking forward to that one. Should have some nice weather to enjoy it. Um, anybody anything anybody wants to highlight as it relates to that? Mr. Kim, don't you have a um what energy workshops coming up? Yes, ma'am. The not next week. We have we have a graphic we can share with all the publicly invited.

Okay. All right. If I'll try to remember to talk about those. Okay. Um, no public uh, appearances. We do have a public hearing which is going to be 45 Lakeside Drive. That'll be a a dilapidated um, structure for consideration and obviously that's public hearing. So, we won't be taking that up from a consent perspective. Um, and I'm assuming there you are. Nothing to share as it relates to those at this point in time. It'll just be under the public hearing, right? Okay. All right. Nothing special about it. Um, okay. Okay. And here we have we do have why uh Cristiano Sug was here. Was the amended and restated development reimbursement agreement. Any issues with putting that one on consent?

Yes, sir. Consent for that one. Okay. And then we have um the miss hospitality. We do this pretty much every year and so consent for that one. All right. Thank you. Um and then under engineering um Cody, are you building with this one? I'm going to take this one. All right. All right. Mr. Williams. Yes. Would you like to share anything about this? In fact, why don't you tell us a little bit about the project?

So, the Brush Arbor, the garden club came to us with a grant opportunity that Ly um with the planning department helped us with. Um so, we've got two different grants with this. One of them is the American 250. And so, and then the other one is the North Mississippi Hills Heritage Trust. So, those two different funding sources there, we've designed it all in house. Um, actually our co-op was the heavy lifter on there. So, we were able to do that, save the design fees. We did it with in-house personnel on it. We've got it ready to design or it's ready to go out for construction. Now, one thing's remaining is we're working through the signage language with um everybody with MSU and it's a a whole partnership as far as the grant goes.

Okay. So, is the design I have not looked at the e- packet. Is the design in the e- packet? We did not. I don't think there, but I can send it out for everybody for Okay. Would you do that, please?

Actually, Daniel did a rendering for us. Um so, we can do show you the rendering and that's it's close to it. So, pretty much across the front of Brush Arbor is doing 18in 24 in seat wall. So that way that slope right now that's uh hard to maintain and mow, it'll be brought up and then it'll have the signage across the front for there and then steps towards the Commodore Bob's end of it to where you'll be able to go into the cemetery that way. So kind of taking the same design elements that are um odd fellows at Fellowship and Russell. So kind of taking that same look and being able to do this and highlight the cemetery and we'll have the signage that uh talks about everybody that's buried there.

Okay. Mr. Caroline, would you mind dropping send that to uh Miss McLaren and let's drop that into the e- packet for sure. That I think that'd be cool. It would be a good reference. Okay. Thank you. What you say the total of both grass was what the total of both grass? I think it's 20 on one and 30 on the other I believe. 35 total. Okay. 35 total. So 35,000 should make that should be a nice that should be able to give a good entrance to it. Well, that's the grants. It's going to be over a hundred to do everything to do it right. Well, and we've got some cemetery funding. So,

well, however we split the other piece of it, but then it also what this is doing is it's also connecting the downtown to the campus. So, it's another it hits several different projects for us and trying initiatives for it.

Okay. All right. Good deal. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. Consent for that. Okay. Um, we'll skip the claims docket. March financials. Anything in particular about the March financials, Mr. consent for that one. And then this is the acknowledgement this new thing that we need to do monthly. It's acknowledgement of the um privilege licenses issue. So consent for that. All right. Then under HR we have um participating with the SOCSD 21st century grant internships which we're we're there. There she is down there. Um talk a little bit about that because I think that's a great program. That's a program for students that start with high school that are juniors and seniors to participate this summer from June to June to July 31st. And they will be able to work 20 hours per week up to the end of July 31st.

And how many do we anticipate? Do we have room for X number or we have we can take as many as they will allow, but as of now we're already planning for three, one for fire and two for clerical roles. Okay. All right. What departments on this cler fire and clerk? The HR area for the city reception city. Yes, ma'am.

In the board packet, it noted that they'd be um that the schools will reimburse us $10 an hour toward these and that there's some opportunity for that to cover their wages and the um the the bene the small bit of benefits, the social security tax, that sort of thing. I' I'd like to propose that we pay these students the full 10 hours and this the $10 an hour and the city pick up the extra dollar or two per hour for those benefits. Um if it's if we're talking about three people and maybe five because the utility has the warehousing opportunity as well

and that would that would come from a different fund but it it won't be material and so I think it would give them a a a better wage and and and make us more of a partner with it. Okay. You need to move that. Well, what we'll do is uh Stacy can re readjust the cover sheet and reflect it that way and then we'll put that back in the e- packet. Okay. So, the cover sheet actually reads um at the maximum rate of $11 an hour, but it says the high school reimburse up to 15. That's one. The other one is there's two. There's Okay, you're talking about the Okay. Yeah. The project piece. This is what was supposed to be pulled out of it, right? On the project piece. Yeah. The other Yes. looking at the wrong one.

Um, so you can you can reflect that as e- packet, but we can still put that on consent with that element added to it. Does that work? Right. Okay. Good to all righty. Um, and then we have um hiring. Okay. Ryan law.

Ryan. Okay. As observed police officer and Riley Sanford's animal control. So, um, and then promoting Mercedes, um, as the lead animal control officer, except for that one. Okay. Uh, sanitation department. Um, this is the, um, engineering services for the closure of the landfill. Uh, Mr. Cunningham sent me that and said that they are they are ready and it's been, as you all know, it's been on and on. It's been a minute. So, ready to begin that process. So, consent for that one. Okay. and then utilities. Mr. Kim, you want to share here?

Sure. First item is for a change order for the current uh project going on treatment plant. Uh MDQ allowed us to alter the um the sludge handling for oxidation ditch number two. From what to what it was previously in a we had that actually treated like a bioolid, add polymer, heat water it, transport it to a facility. they're allowing us to do on-site disposal of it. Um, so that'll be much more favorable from not only a cost standpoint, but also from a time standpoint. Okay.

So, um, ultimately we we'll see a cost savings at the very end of the project when we did out the original way that the the project was going to be handled. The other thing that we did in this change order is we removed some of the asphalt paving that was included in the original project and we're simply pushing that to the end of the second project because it will get a lot of heavy construction likely damage while we're doing the heavy project. So we're just taking out this contract and we'll be doing it. Okay. Is the sludge something that we'll be drying and using at the facility or is

No, it will be landlordance with requirements. Okay. All right. So, consent for that one. Okay. And then we have gotten the loss. When does that come in? Opens Tuesday morning. Okay. So, we'll be getting that um that. So, we'll just leave that one as is and fill in the blanks for taking that up on Tuesday. Okay. Um, rotary lobe air blower. Help me out here.

Okay. All right. Consent for that one. And then low quote from Magnolia.

Okay. Inoperable. Inoperable. Okay. It's not limping along. It's inoperable. Okay. How long is the repair time? Do no consent for that. Second. Okay. Um authorization to accept best quote from Lewis Electric placement of the traffic. Yes. Okay. So I'm assuming that there's insurance that goes with all this and it'll be reimbursed to us. We will be pursuing the insurance replacement not only of this piece of equipment but all the other components as well. Okay. All right. This this is something we did not have in stock.

Okay. This isn't something that MDOT has as part of that's not part of their equipment. Consent to that responsibility. I'm sorry. Okay. Yes. And then the fair housing resolution for CDBG. Correct. This this is one of those check the boxes. It is. It is. It's um you know, Congress appropriates money to HUD. HUD is a big proponent of the Fair Housing Act. Sure.

Which prohibits discrimination and they're asking that the city um also support that in the form of a resolution. And April is fair housing month. So, we're asking you to proclaim April is fair. actually think I've already done that or I've had a request for that and I've got it in the queue. I can't remember which because I think I received it this week. Um and so I'm not not remember but yes, I will absolutely do that. And um are there not with these projects? Do we not have like three or four different things that you have to put on the agenda for us to approve? Uh yes. So there are more forthcoming. There are more forthcoming.

Okay. Can't do them all at the same time. We'll we'll get the next one at um that we'll wrap that up at your next board

for the main meeting. Okay. All right. So, consent for that one and I'll make myself known on the fair housing issue. Okay. Um and that will take us to the end of our uh agenda at least as it relates to um open session depending on well not depending on but we'll go into executive session. There's litigation. I want Mr. Tuskson to bring everyone up to speed on various litigation matters that are going going on, not the least of which is EOD. Um, and then we've got personnel matter and then we will come out and take up the human resources matter. That work for everybody.

Okay. All right. Well, it was a it was a quick one. Um, so we will look forward to having a good weekend. See everybody at the Cotton District Arts Festival and thank you so much.